PH security sector meets in Palace after latest China harassment

The national security sector of the Cabinet met on Monday to discuss the China coast guard's latest act of harassment against a Philippine resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea, Malacañang has said.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin had presided over the meeting, the Presidential Communications Office has said.

''The national security sector held a meeting today. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin presided over the meeting that tackled the latest incident in the West Philippine Sea and ways moving forward,'' PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil said.

Other details are not immediately available.

Over the weekend, Unaizah May 4 (UM4), which was carrying supplies for Filipino troops stationed at BRP Sierra Madre, "sustained heavy damage,'' according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, due to the ''continued blasting of water cannons" from two China Coast Guard vessels.

Still, Philippine forces said that the rotation and resupply (RoRe) mission was successful.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro has said President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. already has directives on this kind of aggression.

Video of the water cannon attack by the China Coast Guard of the Philippine resupply ship Unaizah May 4 showed the latter's Filipino crew praying for divine intervention while scampering for safety.

Three Philippine troops were injured in the latest China Coast Guard water cannon attack on a Filipino supply vessel near a South China Sea reef, National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano said Sunday.

The Philippine government said Saturday's confrontation caused severe damage to the Unaizah May 4 vessel while it was on its way to deliver troops and provisions to a Philippine Navy ship grounded atop the Second Thomas Shoal.

A video of GMA Integrated News’ JP Soriano shows the CCG performing dangerous maneuvers and repeatedly harassing Philippine resupply ship Unaizah May 4 (UM4), causing extensive damage to the RoRe vessel. The navy crew onboard UM4 also sustained injuries.

CCG personnel were likewise seen in separate footage conducting multiple dangerous maneuvers in the WPS, and even inching close to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) and BRP Sindangan (MRRV-4407) to at least within one meter.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday morning summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy following the China Coast Guard’s (CCG) dangerous maneuver against a Philippine vessel on a recent rotation and resupply (RoRe) mission to Ayungin Shoal.

The United States condemned the “dangerous actions” of Chinese forces against the Philippines after another incident in the South China Sea last Saturday.

“The United States stands with its ally the Philippines and condemns the dangerous actions by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) against lawful Philippine maritime operations in the South China Sea on March 23,” the US State Department said in a press statement released over the weekend.

This developed after China's Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said Thursday that the bilateral relationship between the Philippines and China has always been characterized by "peaceful coexistence" between its peoples.

Huang made the remark during an event honoring the role of the Yue Port in Zhangzhou City in fostering trade and good relations between the Philippines and China.—NB/RF, GMA Integrated News